Istalian Liberal Party leadership election, 4091
The Istalian Liberal Party leadership election was the open primary held by the Istalian Liberal Party between September 4091 and November 4091 in order to determine the next Secretary and President of the Istalian Liberal Party, following the resignation of Daniele Mari from his office in June 4091. Background The constitutional reform approved in the last legislature by all the parties in Istalia, except PPI, had the effect to get the PLI more closer to the Istalian Social Liberal Party, and this led to a rumor in which the two parties will be officially allied, making a new larger Centre coalition. The Reformist area didn't liked the partnership with leftist party, even if it was only in order for changing the Constitution, and they threatened to leave the party of boycott it at the next election. The Secretary Daniele Mari tried to avoid anything that could damage the party, but the situation was compromised. Mari, in order to reassure the Reformists, launched the presidential primaries and he won, and this time he made sure that the party will not endorse any other party in the next Presidential elections. However, the last elections in Istalia gave to the party another failure to obtaining more votes, and for the second time in a row the party loses more than one million votes each election. After the results, Daniele Mari resigned from his office, and new leadership election were held, after only one year from his re-election. Voting procedures Presentations for the candidacies of the Secretary and Presidential office were opened on 15 July 4091 and closed on 15 September 4091. In order to run into the election, at least 2,000 approved signatures were requested to collect. Between 16 September and 15 November local conventions took place all around the country. If there will be more than two candidates, and if no candidate got more than 50% of the vote, a second turn between the two most voted candidates would take place within two weeks from the primary election. The first round of the election had been held nationwide on 16 November 4091, opened to all voters, and in order to partecipate, voters had to meet the following conditions: * be registered in the Istalian electoral lists before 31 December 4090 * pay a contribution of less than 1 LIS * sign a charter pledging to the values of the party: «A strong party for a stronger country.» The elected Secretary and President will stay in office for the next five years, and the results were announced at the fifth National Congress held in Barri, Silicia, on 30 November 4091, following the spoils from all ballot boxes in Istalia for the second round held in the same day. Candidates Secretary President Campaign The candidacy of the former Whip of Chamber for the party, Federico De Giorgi, surprisingly was missing, in fact De Giorgi didn't candidate himself, and the Independent faction selected another candidate in order to replace it, the former President of Sarregna, Gianluca Fontana. De Giorgi, according to the surveys, was one of the most favourite to the victory of the leadership election. Another missing candidacy was by the Liberal Democrats faction: the left faction, after being condamned by almost all party for having contributed to getting closer to the leftist parties, didn't tried to run, instead they backed the Green's faction candidate, Vincenzo Falasca. The main issue of the campaign was the future of the party. The candidates had each one a different idea on what should have to do the party, starting from its structure. Melandri said that should rethink the way the President office is appointed, suggesting that the second placed at the Secretary elections should become the President of the party. This idea was opposed by Fontana, who said that the President should be elected directly, and Falasca, who proposed the abolition of the office of the party President. Another issue was the alliance of the party: Brunelli wanted to sign a pact with the Populars for Istalia, while Melandri and Fontana wanted the political independence of the party, like Corrado Zanatta did under his office. Melandri talked about the presidential primaries, arguing that the party should elect its candidate only a few months before the election, and not alongside with the Secretary election, like the party did until that moment. Results Secretary President